


Simply the Best

by Robin Hood (kjack89)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21672382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kjack89/pseuds/Robin%20Hood
Summary: "You and I both remember what Carisi was like before he started shadowing you," Olivia told Barba, which, ok, yes, he certainly did. "He would never have made it here if it wasn't for you.""Fairly certain his Fordham education played a bigger role than I did," Barba said pointedly. "Not to mention I think we can credit Carisi with some kind of natural intelligence all his own.""Maybe," Olivia allowed, "but it wasn't natural intelligence that had him practicing your summations in the mirror all those years, was it?"Barba's mouth went dry. "He – what?"
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 156





	Simply the Best

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ships_to_sail](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ships_to_sail/gifts).



> My darling Chelsea all but begged me to do another Schitt's Creek-ish AU, and, well, sort of. Based somewhat loosely on the Schitt's Creek episode "Open Mic".
> 
> My computer has decided to die on me, so I typed a large chunk of this on a borrowed Chromebook from my work with a wonky spacebar, so if you notice any run on words, that's why.
> 
> Usual disclaimer. Please be kind and tip your fanfic writers in the form of comments and/or kudos!

“What are you doing tonight?” Olivia asked, straight to the point as soon as Barba picked up his cell phone, which inevitably meant she was planning on inviting him to something, and whatever it was, he wasn’t going to want to go. As if sensing his immediate train of thought, she added, “And don’t tell me you’ve got plans outside of work because I know you better than that.”

“That’s what seven years of friendship will get you,” Barba said sourly. “All your best excuses, ruined.”

Olivia laughed lightly. “So, do you have any convenient excuse?”

“Off the top of my head, no,” Barba said, holding his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he sorted through casefiles on his desk, not for the first time wondering what it would take to poach Carmen from the DA’s office so that she could help him make sense of his work life again. “Doesn’t mean that I won’t think of something later.”

He could practically hear Olivia roll her eyes through the phone, another thing that came with seven years of friendship. “Well, before you come up with something, you know that this morning was Carisi’s first big win.”

Barba couldn’t quite stop his own smile. “I recall hearing something about it,” he said, aiming for noncommittal but being entirely unable to keep the pride out of his voice.

Because damnit, he _was_ proud of Carisi. Not just for the win in the case and sending a rapist to jail for twenty years, but for this being the first case he had argued all the way from arraignment to sentencing. He’d come a long way from the ill-fitting suits and hideous mustache, and Barba couldn’t have been prouder.

Not that he’d ever tell Carisi that, of course. They’d started talking again, the stony silence after Barba leaving the DA’s office broken by time and Carisi’s move from the NYPD (and Barba having finally stopped being stubborn and reaching out), and while they texted almost as frequently as they used to and had even met up for drinks a few times, it wasn’t as if they were friends again. Or more than friends, if that’s what they had once been, in that sort of amorphous gray area that used to be their comfort zone, something more than friends but never quite crossing that line into lovers.

Of course, even if they were back in that place, he wasn’t sure he’d ever tell Carisi that. But that wasn’t the point.

In any case, he cleared his throat. “I assume you’re going out to celebrate?” he said mildly.

“The squad figured we owed Carisi that much at least, considering how much shit we’ve given him over the past few years,” Olivia said, and Barba had to chuckle in agreement at that. “And so we wanted to invite you, since you’ve also been a part of this.”

Barba’s smile faded. “I don’t think I should,” he said. “This is a moment for the squad to celebrate, and you and I both know I haven’t been a part of that in years.”

But Olivia, it seemed, was not so easily dissuaded. "You and I both remember what Carisi was like before he started shadowing you," she told Barba, which, ok, yes, he certainly did. "He would never have made it here if it wasn't for you."

"Fairly certain his Fordham education played a bigger role than I did," Barba said pointedly. "Not to mention I think we can credit Carisi with some kind of natural intelligence all his own."

"Maybe," Olivia allowed, "but it wasn't natural intelligence that had him practicing your summations in the mirror all those years, was it?"

Barba's mouth went dry. "He – what?"

Olivia was silent for a long moment, and Barba was beyond certain that she wasn’t supposed to let that slip. "You didn't hear that from me."

There was so much more Barba wanted to ask but something in him was too busy preening at the thought of Carisi practicing his summations, of him hanging on his every word, and it was for that reason and that reason alone that he told Olivia, "Fine, I'll take some small piece of credit for this, which means I will come out for exactly one drink, and that's it. Ok?"

"Excellent," Olivia said, and Barba could hear the smile in her voice.

"Forlini's, I assume?" Barba said, and this time there was no mistaking Olivia's hesitation.

"...Actually, there's a new place near the precinct that Carisi wants to try."

Barba was instantly suspicious by both her hesitation and tone. "Why do you sound like that?" he asked warily. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing's wrong with it!" Olivia assured him. "It's not even a cop bar. It's just..."

She trailed off and Barba sighed. "Spit it out, Liv."

"It's open mic night tonight."

Barba closed his eyes and counted to ten. “Are you kidding me?” he asked out loud, and Olivia, recognizing a rhetorical question when she heard one, or perhaps just judging that anything more she said wouldn’t help her cause, was silent. After a long moment, Barba let out a sigh of defeat. “Fine,” he huffed, “but you owe me.”

"I promise, your one and only drink is on me," Olivia assured him.

It was almost enough to make it worth it, he thought sourly as he hung up.

Key word being almost.

* * *

By the time he arrived at the bar, open mic night was in full swing. But as perhaps proof of a benevolent God, he arrived right at the end of someone’s attempt at a comedy set, so he was spared from having to force laugher.

And as perhaps even further proof that someone up above was on his side, Carisi lit up when he sas him. "Raf!" he called, and as soon as Barba was in arm distance, pulled him into a hug. "I'm so glad you came!"

"I said I would," Barba said mildly, feeling a little uncomfortable at the way Fin and Rollins were smirking at him. "So here I am."

Carisi just beamed at him. "Here, lemme get you a drink," he started, turning to the bartender, but Olivia smoothly cut him off.

"You're the one we're celebrating," she scolded gently, batting his hand away. "Besides, I owe Rafael a drink anyway."

She gave Barba a look and he sighed and sat down next to Carisi, feeling awkward. “Congratulations on the case,” he said, not sure what else to say, and followed it up immediately with, "Please tell me no one is planning on embarrassing themselves at the open mic tonight." 

Carisi just laughed. "C'mon, Counselor, I'm sure you could hold your own," he said, nudging him companionably.

"Maybe," Barba said noncommittally, accepting the glass of scotch Olivia held out to him gratefully. "But it'd take more than one of these to make me even remotely consider it."

Carisi started to reply when the MC said into the mic, "Up next, Sonny Carisi."

"Oh shit, that's me," Carisi said, rather unnecessarily, grabbing his drink and draining it. "Wish me luck!"

"What are you—" Barba started, but it was too late, Carisi was already heading up on stage, blinking a little as he stepped under the lights. Barba glanced wildly around for Olivia, whose expression gave absolutely nothing away. "Did you know about this?" he demanded.

Olivia shrugged, but she looked a little too smug for his liking. "Maybe," she said, taking a sip of wine.

Barba was baffled, to say the least, but before he could say anything else, Carisi was at the mic, with an acoustic guitar that he had pulled from God knows where, and Barba was pretty sure he was trapped in a nightmare of some variety. Because as much as he was here for Carisi, he didn’t know if he had it in him to pretend to enjoy whatever Carisi sang, especially since, knowing the man, it was going to be some awful pop song.

Besides which, if he needed significantly more alcohol to get him to perform, it was nothing compared to the amount of alcohol he was going to need to make it through this.

But Carisi was grinning at the crowd like his day job was performing in bars and not practicing at the Bar, and Barba would be lying if his heart didn't give a traitorous little flip-flop as Carisi strummed a chord. "Uh, how's everyone doing tonight?" Carisi asked, smiling genially as the crowd whooped and cheered in response. "I'm, uh, I'm here celebrating a pretty big day with my colleagues—” Fin and Rollins in particular let out loud cheers, while the newest squad member, Kat or whatever her name was, applauded. “—but, uh, I really want to take a moment to thank Rafael Barba in particular for being here tonight and for being a really great mentor even when I was nothing more than a pain in your ass."

The crowd chuckled appreciatively, and Barba was pretty sure his face had gone the color of a tomato.

"He, uh, he doesn't know this," Carisi added, strumming the guitar again, "but he's also inspired me to learn something else, so I want to dedicate this song to him. And, uh—" He looked directly at Barba. "I want him to know that I mean every word."

Barba was now fairly certain he wanted to crawl under the table, since half the crowd was looking at him instead of Carisi, but then Carisi started playing. And it wasn’t whatever awful top of the charts disaster Barba was expecting it to be.

It was slow, and gentle, not like the original recording. But it was still so hauntingly familiar that Barba could remember sitting in his grandmother's apartment and listening to it play on the record player. His heart beat a painful cadence in time with the music, and all the moreso when Carisi again looked at him as he sang, his voice soft and just a little breathy, "Cómo fue, no sé decirte cómo fue..."

He kept singing, still that same, soft voice, so different than his usual boisterous tone, and Rafael was vaguely happy to realize that between the Spanish and the singing, his Staten Island accent was a little more subtle as well. But still, it's unmistakably Carisi singing this, singing Beny Moré to him.

Saying that he didn't know how it happened, but he fell in love with him.

After he told him that he meant every word.

He could just barely hear Rollins ask what Carisi's saying, but Olivia shushed her. Not that it matters — Barba wasn’t listening to anything except Carisi, singing to him. Singing about him.

And maybe too much had happened between them and maybe they weren’t in that gray area anymore, but in that moment, it didn't matter. "Fue una luz que iluminó todo mi ser," Carisi sang, and as cheesy as it was, Barba knew that it was true. Whatever this was between them, it was not certainly not gray anymore — it had been illuminated more than he could ever have dared to hope for.

It was not a particularly long song, especially not when there were no big band orchestrations accompanying it, but it still felt a little like torture, waiting for it to end. Not because it was painful, listening to it, but because Barba wanted to respond.

And as soon as the song ended, Barba didn't hesitate.

He all but yanked Carisi off the little makeshift stage and kissed him, right there in front of the entire bar as they were all still applauding the song, and it was no surprise that they got a few whoops and catcalls as he did.

"Oh, so _that's_ what the song means," Rollins said.

Barba still ignored her, because Carisi was here, in front of him, kissing him, and it was everything he’d wanted for years.

When they finally broke apart, Carisi was grinning at him, but in a little bit of a nervous way. "So, I'll, uh, I'll take it you liked it?" he asked, a little hopefully. Always looking for Barba's approval, even now. Even after everything.

"No," Barba told him, already moving to kiss him again, his lips brushing against Carisi's as he added, "Me encantó."

Needless to say, they didn't stick around the bar long after that, just long enough for Barba to tell Olivia, who had a shit-eating grin on her face, "You know, I was right after all."

"About what?" Olivia asked.

"I only stayed for one drink."

* * *

Later that night — or the next morning, who knew and who cared after a few rounds of phenomenal sex, quite frankly — Barba idly tripped a finger up Carisi's side as they lay next to each other in bed. "You know, I feel bad," he remarked.

Carisi shifted, a frown furrowing his brow. "Why?" he asked, suddenly worried. "Was it not good for you?"

Barba rolled his eyes so hard he half-thought he pulled a muscle. "No, of course it was," he scoffed, before turning slightly more serious. "But — you sang me Beny Moré, and I didn't do anything for you."

Carisi stared at him, incredulity clear in his expression. "You really need me to list everything you've ever done for me, or—?"

Again Barba rolled his eyes, but this time it was with a laugh. "Neither you nor I have that kind of time," he said, smirking slightly. "But still, I owe you."

Carisi leaned in and kisses him lightly. "Ok," he said, propping himself on his elbow. "So sing a song for me. Something you mean and something I'll appreciate. Then we'll be even."

"What, here in bed?" Barba asked. "Not in front of an adoring crowd?"

Carisi shrugged. "I wouldn't make you do that," he said, which Barba knew without a doubt is true.

So he paused and thought for a moment before looking back at Carisi, reaching out automatically to run his fingers through Carisi's hair, having long since fallen out of the ridiculous coif he had undoubtedly spent untold amounts of time on that morning getting it to look just right. "He's got a way about him," he sang softly, so quietly that if weren't just the two of them lying inches apart, Carisi would probably never hear him. "I don't know what it is, but I know that I can't live without him. He's got a way—"

He broke off when Carisi grabbed his wrist, looking part confused, part exasperated. "Uh, Raf, no offense, and it's not like I don't appreciate the sentiment, but why the fuck are you singing me Billy Joel?"

Barba scowled. “Well, you sang me a Cuban song, so I figured I’d sing you a song from your people.”

“Billy Joel is a song of my people?!”

Barba stared at him flatly. “You’re an Italian-American from Staten Island,” he said. “I’d think that speaks for itself. Besides, I’ve seen your top artists on Spotify.”

"That is not the point," Carisi blustered, but even in the dim light, Barba could tell he’s turning red and he allows himself a self-satisfied smirk. "Either way, no Billy Joel in bed, please. Makes me think of my parents, and, uh, kinda kills the mood."

"Fine," Barba said, trying to sound put out, but he couldn't help but smile involuntarily as Carisi leaned in to kiss him once more. And when he looked at him this time, there was absolutely no joking in his expression. “No sé explicarme qué pasó,” he whispered instead, tracing his thumb across Carisi’s cheekbone, staring into those blue eyes that he’s spent years falling in love with, despite his every effort to not, “pero de ti me enamoré.”

**Author's Note:**

> Song Carisi sings is ["Cómo Fue"](https://lyricstranslate.com/en/c%C3%B3mo-fue-how-did-it-happen.html%22) by Beny Moré; song Barba attempts to sing is "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel.


End file.
